The Sheperd
by nevertoomuch
Summary: She squeezes her eyes shuts and begins to pray. She can't remember the last time she prayed, but she wagers it was about 12 years ago.


So this is just something I _could not_ get out of my head. I know it's a bit odd, but hopefully also engaging and not to confusing :)

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><p>The first shot ripped past her, merging noisily with the metal behind her.<p>

_She hadn't been the same for some time now. Not on her game like she should be._

The second shot hit her in the arm.

_Three months. Three months is a long time for someone to be in a coma._

The third shot was only seconds behind, hitting her square in the chest.

_She let his name escape her lips, even though she knows he can't hear her._

Although her vest prevented any real damage, it still sent her to the ground.

...

Footsteps are quickly approaching and from where she's splayed on the ground but she can't see where her gun landed. She hears him reload his.

She knows she's going to die. She can't do anything, so she listens closely. Her killer's strides are long, purposeful as he nears. He's wearing boots. As he gets closer he starts to drag his feet.

Now he's standing above her looking down into her eyes and lining his gun up with her forehead. He's speaking but she can't process the words.

He has the audacity to _smile_ at her. She closes her eyes because that can't be the last thing she sees. So she conjures up memories and sees the precinct and Ryan and Esposito, she sees the cappuccino machine and Montgomery. She sees Castle.

She can't see but his finger's on the trigger and he looks ready. That's when she hears a crash and a strangled yelp . Then a growl.

She peels her eyes open but see's nothing above her. Just the ceiling of the warehouse. She hears the growling again. She squeezes her eyes shuts and begins to pray. She can't remember the last time she prayed, but she wagers it was about 12 years ago.

She hears another noise from her shooter and she can't think of another word to describe it then painful. She was never really a walking thesaurus though. That was _his_ thing.

Eyes still clenched, she becomes acutely aware of the sharp pains in her arm and the warm pool of blood that is beginning to surround her.

That's when she feels something moist on her face. She recoils and opens her eyes.

It's a tongue.

It's a dog's tongue.

The pieces fall into place and she realized the dog must have attacked her shooter. From her haze she realizes it looks like a German Shepherd, and it's tan coat is splattered with blood. There is so much in the vicinity however, there is no way of telling whose it is.

She takes a moment and just breathes. Her body is in so much pain, it has begun to feel like a separate entity from her mind, but she comes back to the moment when the dog licks her face again.

It paces then nudge its muzzle at her hip.

She ignores the dog's antics until she realizes her phone is still in her pocket.

She calls the precinct and between labored breaths tells Esposito where she is. She tells him to please send an ambulance as well.

Her body is starting to tingle and now the dog is sitting by her head. She strains her head to look up at it once more and there is something so uncanny about the way it as looking back at her, she could almost _swear _it was_… _she chides herself, and rationalizes that she has just lost a lot of blood.

When she opens her eyes the first thing she see's is the dog. It's sitting in the chair beside her bed, and now she thinks she may be hallucinating.

However she when she turns and props herself up she sees Ryan and Esposito and they also seem to be acknowledging the dog.

They give her gentle hugs, careful not to nudge her arm.

Their smiles say they are grateful she's safe.

She awkwardly breaks the silence trying to lighten the mood.

_That was always Castle's job_.

" So uh, what's up with the canine?"

"He won't really leave. And since he saved your life, Montgomery made sure there was an exception made." Esposito rambles while sticking his hands in his jacket, "You know there's seeing eye dogs and stuff wandering around here anyways, so really what's the difference?"

"Plus, Beckett, you should have seen the damage he did. I think they were kinda scared to not let him follow you here." Ryan adds, and as if to disprove his assumption that the dog is dangerous, it jumps out of the chair and on to Beckett's bed laying his head on her thigh.

She lifts her good arm and scratches the top of the dog's head. He raises his head and leans into her touch.

Esposito and Ryan are still standing wordlessly. She can tell there's something they aren't telling her. She is a detective afterall.

She sighs and lifts a weary eyebrow, one hand still petting the large shepherd sitting on her bed, "What is it?"

There is a shared look between the boys.

It's Esposito that finally speaks, "It's Castle."

She starts to feel the aching again but this time it's coming from somewhere deeper.

"He… earlier today…the machines are the only thing keeping him alive right now."

The bed rattles as she pounds her fists into the bedding and she gasps as the pain shoots up her injured arm.

The dog shoots up alarmed and turns to face Beckett whom takes two fistfuls of his soft fur and leans her forehead against the animals.

Her response is muffled by fur, "Oh god."

"Alexis in is in there now. She was actually just in here before you woke up." There's a pause, "We don't know how much longer…"

She releases the dog and leans back, revealing the silent stream of tears covering her face.

The dog cocks its head towards the duo and lets its glance linger there for a moment.

Ryan furrows his brows," That dog… his eyes…" he stares for a second into the animals blue orbs, " He reminds me-"

Esposito slaps his friend on the back cutting him short because he knows what he's going to say.

_He reminds me of Castle. _

He knows because it crossed his mind as well. And he knows it's silly but they've all been through a lot of stress lately.

"We're going to go grab some food. Want anything?"

She dismisses them silently and closes her eyes, hoping to fall back to sleep and wake up in her own bed.

When she wakes up, the dog is gone.

...

"Ughhhh."

Alexis' head shoots up from where it was resting on the window.

"Dad?"

His response is mumbled and he still sounds somewhat disoriented, "Daughter."

"Dad!" she lunges at him and he groans but wraps his arms around her none the less.

The redhead doesn't notice the copious amounts of tears falling from her cheeks on to his shirt but neither of them cares.

"They said you… they said you were gone."

" You know I'd never leave you." It was simple, but true.

When she finally pulls away from the hug and alerts the nurses he looks to her curiously, "Do they have me on some fancy-schmancy drugs or something?"

The concern returns to her voice "I don't know. Why?"

" I just-" he rubs his head, " I had the most vivid dream. But yet it's so hard to remember. Beckett was shot, there was a dog, I was there…was I the dog maybe? I don't know." He sighs, "It was just a dream."

Alexis' mouth forms an obvious 'O' as her phone clatters to the ground.

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><p>So yes, thats it. I hope I caught the characters well enough even though it was kind of an out of the ordinary peice.<p>

On another note, I would be lying if I said reviews would not be a lovely thing to receive.


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